


Heartbeat

by pajama_cats



Category: Carole & Tuesday (Anime)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-12-09 15:01:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20996735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pajama_cats/pseuds/pajama_cats
Summary: Much to Roddy’s distress Ertegun brings up the topic of love.





	Heartbeat

“Roddy, who strikes your interest when it comes to love?”

It was a question that one hundred percent had Roddy nearly choking on his drink. If anything it felt out of the blue and seriously who just drops a question like that?

Roddy’s lived most of his life without it. No relationships or ex’s to dwell on, he was content with his normal boring life— not so boring since Carole and Tuesday came into it- but overall fine without a relationship.

.. It’d be nice to be in one though. With a particular person that he’s sure he has little to no chance with. Was Ertegun trying to set him up? Go figure, to have your _ crush _wanting you to go out with someone that isn’t them. Oh, the irony.

Where would we he begin with this? God, he got too flustered even _ thinking _about attempting to date.

Rest in peace to his heart if he ever had to hold hands with anyone.

When Roddy’s mind finally unfreezes he musters up what little courage has to see Ertegun looking at him expectantly. For once he wasn’t being impatient that baffled Roddy even further.

“I guess mecha animes.” Roddy replies lamely, hands folded together out of nervous habit.

“Roddy, Roddy, Roddy..” Ertegun sighs. Yeah, it would have been pure dumb luck if that answer would be sufficient. “I said _ who _ not _ what.” _  
  
“A-ah..” An even lamer response and Roddy finds himself stalling for time as he slowly sips his drink. By now Ertegun’s patience was running thin and can he really blame him? This was a never to be touched topic for him in the first place.  
  
“Would you like to hear who has captivated my heart instead?” Now this has Roddy immediately setting his drink down. There was someone other than himself that he loved? Curiosity completely said yes, but his heart? If he knew Ertegun was interested in someone else he’s not sure what he’d do.  
  
Maybe hole himself up in his apartment and binge-watch all his favorite animes until he was ready to face the world again. It’s not the first time he’s done it and probably not the last either.

“If you want to share.” Roddy says with as much politeness as he can muster up. Was it obvious that he was nervous? His heart was hammering against his chest and he’s sure his face was pretty pink judging by how warm he felt now.  
  
“Have I not piqued your interests?” Ertegun rests his head on the palm of his hand, another sigh escaping him. “Perhaps if I described them to you?”  
  
“Have at it then.” Honestly he never cared for beating around the bush, but he knows either way Ertegun was going to do so anyway. Roddy could never really say no to the man anyway.  
  
“They’re pretty slim, beautiful wavy hair..” Well, that certainly did _ not _ narrow it down. “Orange eyes that glisten whenever he’s in the presence of true beauty, with striking hair to match those eyes you could get lost in.. Well, the one you can see anyway.”  
  
Roddy freezes yet everything about him right now wasn’t cold. He’s not naive, but surely Ertegun wasn’t describing _ him _ .  
  
.. Was he?  
  
“.. And the best freelance AI programmer I know.”  
  
Roddy immediately covers his face. He _ was _ talking about him! The low tone and throaty chuckle doesn’t help Roddy cool down or calm his poor heart, it only increases the redness of what his face must look like.  
  
“Might I add they have the most _ adorable _ blush right now too.”  
  
“Please stop.” Roddy groans and slowly lowers his hands. “Wait you- you _ love _ me?”  
  
“I thought we established that by now. Who else would I love other than myself? When I was nothing but worthless you gave me a place to stay, inspired me to make my own music and picked me right back up. You were the only one that cared and even before then I had a soft spot for you, _ Roddy._”  
  
This time Roddy doesn’t hide his burning face; his expression softening and a smile blooming on his face. Ertegun really thought so highly of him and he just— well. That never really hit him entirely.  
  
“C-can I tell you about who I love?” It’s not a topic changer, but Roddy wants to use what little courage he gained to just spit it out. The opportunity presented itself and now he knows it’s not one sided or unrequited.   
  
It is difficult to simply ‘spit it out’ with Ertegun looking so enchanted just from the few words he spoke.  
  
“Enlighten me, _ Roddy.” _ Why did he like to say his name so much? That was just making it even more difficult.  
  
“He’s a successful, well-built DJ, who..” Why was this so difficult? Compliments rolled right off Ertegun’s tongue why couldn’t he be like that too?  
  
“Who..?” Ertegun leaned in, clearly drawn into the conversation. Oh, he was loving this wasn’t he? Was it possible to look smug, yet not? Ertegun was somehow pulling it off swimmingly.  
  
“W-who has..” _ Be still his beating heart. “ _ Really.. Nice hair a-and..” Nice hair? Really? He was hyper aware of how much he sucked at this, but it was the attempt itself that mattered, right?  
  
This coming from the guy who had to dance over one hundred times, got a car blown up by his favorite mecha figure, and getting thrown in jail for helping Carole and Tuesday reunite.  
  
So out of all that mess why did this one have to be the most heart stopping?  
  
“And..?” Whether Ertegun was spurring him on out of genuine curiosity, amusement or just soaking up the mediocre compliments, Roddy was truly struggling.  
  
_ “And,” _ Roddy stresses. “I love him too.”  
  
The way Ertegun abruptly stands up nearly stops his heart. But apparently it was enough for the man to hear who didn’t waste a second sliding out of his seat in favor of sitting next to Roddy; arm thrown over his shoulders and a chaste kiss pressed against what little of his forehead can be seen.  
  
“You have no idea how _ thrilled _ I am to hear those words come from you! How I have dreamed of this moment—”  
  
“You’ve imagined it?!”  
  
“—And for those words to be spoken into existence is even more exhilarating! Can you say it again, Roddy?” It’s painful, truly painful to look up and see how full of fondness Ertegun had just from _ looking _ at him.  
  
“J-just this once!” Roddy says, knowing full well he’d end up muttering or exclaiming the words later anyway. “..I love you.”  
  
Despite it being the second time he’s said the words aloud it still felt strange. Like he kept rolling the words around until they sounded right. To Ertegun at least they sounded perfect; the very thing he needed and wanted to hear from the likes of him.  
  
“And I love you above all, even myself.”

Roddy can only duck his head at the second kiss he gets and not even his glass of water can put out the warmth he felt rushing through him.

If this is what it was like to be loved then.. Then he could learn to live with that overwhelming feeling. Unless Ertegun would show mercy on his poor soul.

**Author's Note:**

> Forgive me for how cheesy this is I wrote it after midnight fhdjfh 
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


End file.
